"Le Tic-Toc-Choc, ou les Maillotins" is from Ordre
XVIII, composed in 1722 by François Couperin. Of all
the harpsichord repertoire, the works penned by the
French Baroque composers were intrinsically wedded to
the instrument. One of the most remarkable pieces in
the entire harpsichord repertoire is "Le Tic-Toc-Choc",
a pièce croisée from his Dixhuitiéme Ordre published
in his Troisième Livre of 1722.
The piece is discussed in Jane Clark and Derek Connon?s
recent book, ?The mirror ...(+)
"Le Tic-Toc-Choc, ou les Maillotins" is from Ordre
XVIII, composed in 1722 by François Couperin. Of all
the harpsichord repertoire, the works penned by the
French Baroque composers were intrinsically wedded to
the instrument. One of the most remarkable pieces in
the entire harpsichord repertoire is "Le Tic-Toc-Choc",
a pièce croisée from his Dixhuitiéme Ordre published
in his Troisième Livre of 1722.
The piece is discussed in Jane Clark and Derek Connon?s
recent book, ?The mirror of human life?: Reflections on
François Couperin?s Pièces de Clavecin, where it is
revealed that the Maillot were a famous family of
rope-dancers.
"Tic toc; an indeclinable and artificial term, which
expresses a beating, a reiterated movement, a pulse
that beats, a horse that walks, the pendulum of a
clock, a hammer that knocks". Nobody seems to know for
sure what the title means, but many think it's the name
of a child's toy.
He wrote that this work as a keyboard crossed part: "to
be played on two manuals, of which one will push or
draw back. Those who do not have a suitable harpsichord
or virginal must play the top part as written and the
bottom part an octave lower".
I created this arrangement for Harp seperating the
staffs and using the latter approach for
playability.
Although originally written for Harpsichord, I created
this arrangement for Concert (Pedal) Harp.